Vol. 53 No. 2 Mar. 2006 First C-17 Globemaster III arrives! · · 2015-12-17Vol. 53 No. 2 Mar. 2006 First C-17 Globemaster III arrives! Ke Aloha, the first of Hickam AFB’s C-17

Vol. 53 No. 2 Mar. 2006

First C-17 Globemaster III arrives!Ke Aloha, the first of Hickam

AFB’s C-17 Globemaster IIIs, pilotedby active duty and Guard members,taxied home to the cheers of thou-sands gathered for the C-17 Land-ing Ceremony here Feb. 8.

Gov. Linda Lingle christened theKe Aloha or Spirit of Hawaii, tousher in a new era for Hickam AirForce Base as the first Active Duty/Air National Guard associate unitin the Air Force takes off.

“It’s a whole new world at HickamAir Force Base,” said Capt. StevenSnelson, C-17 pilot from the 535thAirlift Squadron.

This is the first time the C-17will make its home outside the con-tinental United States.

“It makes so much sense havingthe C-17s stationed at Hickam AirForce Base. From this location, we’llbe able to effectively support all theservice branches of our Americanmilitary,” said Brig. Gen. Peter“Skipper” Pawling, 154th Wing com-mander.

Both the Active Duty and the Ha-waii Air National Guard are joiningforces to bring the rapid strategicdelivery of troops and all types ofcargo under all sorts of conditionsto all kinds of places.

“The C-17 will support missionswherever anyone needs our help,”said Tech. Sgt. Rafael Delasierra,Hawaii Air National Guard memberand designated crew chief of KeAloha.

Prior to the aircraft landing, thecrowd was treated to a multi-cul-tural show, which included tradi-tional Chinese, Japanese, Filipinoand Korean dances. TheKamehameha Schools Children’sChorus serenaded the crowd with a

by Staff Sgt. Betty J. Squatrito-Martin

photo by Staff Sgt. Betty J. Sqauatrito-Martin

Ke Aloha, the Spirit of Hawaii, after years in the making, is finally home.

Following a traditional Hawaiianblessing given by Kahu Kordell Kekoa,Gov. Linda Lingle, on her third try,christens Ke Aloha by breaking achampagne bottle over a lava rock.

photo by Staff Sgt. Betty J. Squatrito-Martin

medley of Hawaiian and patrioticsongs, and as the Halau Hula Danc-ers were putting the final toucheson their performance, the C-17rolled into place.

Once the aircraft came to a halt,and the engines came to a stop, astring of dignitaries including Gen-eral Paul V. Hester, commanderPacific Air Forces, Boeing’s vicepresident and general manager forglobal mobility, Ron Marcotte, andGov. Linda Lingle exited the air-craft.

As part of a symbolic gesture toshow the joining of the Active Dutyand Guard, the HIANG 154th WingCommander Brig. Gen. Peter S.Pawling and the 15th Airlift WingCommander, Col. WilliamChangose, in partnership and intandem removed the cover from theside of the C-17 aircraft to reveal

see C-17 page 4

2 Kukailimoku • Mar. 2006

Commander’s Call: TO THE FUTURE AND BEYOND

Kuka’ilimoku This funded Air Force newspaper is an authorizedpublication for the members of the US military ser-vices. Contents of the Kuka’ilimoku are not neces-sarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the USGovernment, the Department of Defense, and theDepartment of the Air Force or the Hawaii Air Na-tional Guard.

This publication is prepared, edited and providedby the Public Affairs Office of the 154th Wing, Hawaii96853-5517. Telephone: DSN/ (315) 448-7320 / (808)448-7320. Send e-mail submissions, comments orsuggestions internally to Kuka’ilimoku or externallyto KUKA’ILIMOKU@ HIHICK.ANG.AF.MIL.

The Kuka’ilimoku can be seen on the 154th Wingintranet web page at http://154web/. The punctua-tion of the name of this publication was researchedby the Indo-Pacific Language Department at the Uni-versity of Hawaii.

All photos are United States Air Force photosunless otherwise noted.

COMMANDERBrig. Gen. Peter S. Pawling

STAFFPAO: 1st Lt. Regina Berry

PAOStaff Sgt. Betty J. Squatrito-Martin

EditorStaff Sgt. Laurence A. Bejerana

PA RepresentativeStaff Sgt. Sharen M. Coleman

PA IMPublished by

154th Wing Public Affairs Office

by Brig. Gen. Peter S. “Skipper” Pawling, Commander 154 WG

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What does it take to be a leader,and do you think you have what ittakes? There is a difference be-

tween supervisorsand leaders, al-though youwould thinkthat theyshould be thesame.I would classify

a leader as one of those individualsthat you will never forget, and a su-pervisor, if not a leader, a person ina position of leadership. So whatmakes a supervisor a leader? Firstof all, let’s define leader. Webster’sdictionary defines a leader as, “aperson who rules, who guides, andwho inspires others.” Webster’s hasa good definition of a leader, but youdon’t necessarily need to be a su-pervisor to be a leader. Have youheard of Servant-Leadership? It’sthe principle of leading by serving.

You might ask yourself, what does

Leadership: It’s about doing the right thingby Master Sgt. Vernon Palomares154 AMXS

he mean, leading by serving? Well,it does not mean that servant lead-ers are waiting around to do what-ever people want for them. It meansthese leaders are providing peoplephysical, emotional, and spiritualsupport to accomplish the missionof the wing in addition to their per-sonal career goals. I am describingthe type of leader that knows andunderstands the human factor of hispeople and is willing to do what isnecessary to take care of them. Aleader who is willing to do the rightthing!

Understanding the human factorinvolves skills such as listening,being patient, showing kindness,respect and honesty, leading withdignity and giving people the dignitythey deserve. Let’s just say, it isbeing a person with substance andcharacter! What it boils down to isrelationships with your fellow work-ers, whether it is your supervisors,peers or subordinates, it’s all aboutrelationships. We are in the peoplebusiness because it takes people to

accomplish the mission. It takesunderstanding to work with people.Moreover, it’s the relationships ofthe people that make the Hawaii AirNational Guard what we are today.

I want to take the time tothank everyone who helpedmake the C-17 arrival ceremo-nies we had in February a tre-mendous success. I know a lotof time and hard work was de-voted to each of the ceremoniesby both Guard and Active dutymembers, please know that itdid not go unnoticed. The C-17

is an amazing aircraft. Its load capacity and versatil-ity makes it extremely valuable for us while we con-tinue to fulfill both our state and federal missions.

I know a lot of the focus lately has been on the C-17arrival but I do want to take the time to say farewell tothe last C-130 that departed in February. The C-130shave been members of the HIANG since 1983 and havegiven us many wonderful memories. Although not asbig as the C-17, the C-130 has done tremendous thingsfor the HIANG. I’m sad to see them go.

Besides the arrival of the C-17s and the farewell ofthe C-130s, our Maintenance Squadron went througha Maintenance Standardization Evaluation Programinspection. It was the most in depth inspection we’ve

ever had. The results of the inspection were on thehigh side of an excellent rating. My congratulations toall the many outstanding performers and “Best Prac-tices” which were identified by the inspectors. As ateam, we really appreciate all the efforts that wentinto the preparing for this important inspection – greatjob to all!

Very importantly, I can’t forget to thank all of youwho have been volunteering for deployments. In 2005we had hundreds of Wing members volunteer for de-ployments all over the world, from Afghanistan to Guamto Thailand. It’s great to see that members of our Wingare proudly representing the HIANG.

Moving on to the future…we’re going to be busy thisyear planning and preparing for various events. Thisyear the HIANG celebrates its 60th anniversary. Therewill be a golf tournament on Nov. 17, a dinner celebra-tion on Nov. 18 at the Sheraton and an Open House onDec. 3 so mark those days in your calendar.

Another date to remember is Jan 22-26, 2007. Thisis the new date for our Unit Compliance Inspection.We will be going through our UCI at the same time asthe 15 AW. Although concurrent, they will be gradedindividually. Let’s begin early, start preparing now!

Kukailimoku • Mar. 2006 3

by Command Chief Denise Jelinski-Hall, 154 WG

The view was spectacular as we watched the sunslowly rise over the Ko’olau mountain range. A slightbreeze blew and the air smelled fresh.As a member of the Honor Guardevaluation team at the KaneoheState Veteran’s Cemetery, I felt astrong sense of patriotism and washonored to be in the presence ofthose that had served before me.

The setting was very peaceful andserene as we gathered to evaluatethe Honor Guard Member of the Yearand the Honor Guard Virtue Awardwinners. Every member that weevaluated that day had spent count-less hours preparing and practicingto prove they were the best. As Iwatched each competitor display theskills they had mastered, their pre-cise movements, impeccable uni-forms and their unwavering commit-ment to the guard and country, Istood in awe of them. That day, I cameto realize not every guard membercan be on the Honor Guard Team. It takes a special

Duty, Honor, Country: the Honor Guard

Ho’ohie Me Ka Hanohano: Honor with dignityby Chief Master Sgt. Rob Lee,HIANG Honor Guard Superintendent

“On behalf of the President of theUnited States of America, the De-partment of the Air Force, the Men& Women of the Hawaii Air Na-tional Guard and a grateful Nation,we offer our nation’s flag for thefaithful and honorable service ofyour loved one,” is the message wedeliver to the next-of-kin whoseloved one has dedicated his or herlife protecting America’s freedom.

Honor Guard members take thisresponsibility very seriously. Eachmember hones his or her skills ofperforming various disciplines thatencompass the Military Honor’sFuneral ceremony by adopting ahigh standard lifestyle, dedicationand self-sacrifice. We as membersof the Honor Guard understand theimportance of what we represent.It is through that understandingcoupled with the foundation ofpride and respect that we do what

we do. It is our duty to give back tothose who have served.

New Ceremonial Guardsmen at-tain certification through trainingphases that take them from basicmovements to the ability to performthe Color Team movements, the six-man flag fold, pall bearing duties, fir-ing party duties and the ability tocoordinate the minimum if a three-man veterans detail. The certifica-tion training takes place over thecourse of five eight hour practicedays equaling 40 hours after whicha certification is awarded.

Practice for all members usuallyoccurs once a month and is wherediscipline is demanded while per-fection is expected.

Practices are usually scheduledon the second Saturday followingthe 154th Wing UTA weekend. Typi-cally our practices are held onHickam Air Force Base, but wesometimes travel to the veterancemeteries to conduct practice, on-

site so to speak, which enables ourteam to acclimate themselves on“sacred grounds.”

The Honor Guard consists of fourflights, with one flight each onOahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Is-land. The state program has a mem-bership of approximately 75 mem-bers, with the bulk of its memberson Oahu.

Every member who bears theHonor Guard patch on their BDU’shas gone through extensive train-ing to possess it. It, in itself, repre-sents the pride, discipline and sac-rifice by which the individual lives.If interested in becoming a mem-ber of the Honor Guard program, wewould like to invite you to our prac-tice to observe our training to as-sess if this is something you wouldlike to be a part of. Contact eithermyself, by email or my office num-ber, 655-7078 or Master Sgt. EdSamson, by email or his office num-ber, 448-7776.

calling, a strong sense of service, self-discipline andendless dedication to the precise performance of theirduties. The hours of practice and self-control which

enables them to carry out theirduties with exemplary profession-alism, left me wanting for words toaccurately describe the pride I felt.I left that afternoon with a differ-ent sense of gratitude for the ser-vice to our state and country thatthese fine men and womengive…give without expectation ofanything in return…give becausethey have a higher calling toserve…give to honor the men,women and families of those thathave served and those that havemade the ultimate sacrifice. Thenext time you see our Hawaii AirNational Guard Honor Team mem-bers, I encourage you to take amoment to thank them and payhonor to them for their service toour state and to our nation.

I encourage all HIANG membersto consider serving on our Honor Guard Team.

phot by Tech. Sgt. Kristen Higgins

Staff Sgt. Elijah Lincoln, Senior AirmanChristopher Vincent, Chief Master Sgt.Rob Lee, and Master Sgt. Ed Samsonprepare to post the colors.


C-17

the name, Ke Aloha, Spirit of Ha-waii, which refers to the everpresent spirit of warmth and friend-ship.

“When one talks about the Ac-tive Duty and Guard relationship,we say we’re one team first,” said

Brig. Gen Pawling.As part of the Landing Ceremony,

the crew chiefs; one from the Guardand one from Active Duty, assignedto the C-17 were given the keys tothe aircraft. “It was an honor to re-ceive the key from Gen. Hester andall the other dignitaries,” said Tech.Sgt. Delasierra.

In addition to increasing our glo-bal reach and wartime capabilities,the C-17 is expected to bring greatercapability for disaster relief through-out the Hawaiian Islands.

According to Brig. Gen. Pawling,the C-17 can do the work of four ofthe now departed C-130s.

The Landing Ceremony was theculmination of several years worthof preparation and work beginningwith the ground breaking ceremonyin August 2004. Milestones alongthe way included, Lt. Gov. DukeAiona accepting the Hawaiian stateflag at the First Assembly, Guardand Active Duty members celebrat-ing the major join, where the C-17took on the shape of an airplane, andthe preparation for its maiden voy-age home to Hawaii.


Crew chiefs, Tech Sgt. J. Grunditzand Tech. Sgt Rafael Delasierradisplay key to Ke Aloha, the “Spiritof Hawaii,” following presentationby Gen. Paul V. Hester. (back)

photos by Staff. Sgt. Laurence Bejerana

(above) The crowd is treated to a tourof the new C-17 Globemaster III.Hundreds lined up to take a sneakpeak of the state-of-the-art flightdeck. Its cargo area can hold two18-wheeler big rig trucks side by side.

(left) Dignitaries, Maj. Gen. Robert Lee,Kahu Kordell Kekoa, Gen. Paul V.Hester, Gov. Linda Lingle, Brig. Gen.Peter S. Pawling, Col. William J.Changose and Mr. Ron Marcotte.

“It was very enlightening.” “Ithought the class was wellworth it. I learned a lot aboutsolving some problems at workfor which I previously was at aloss.” “We got to share andlearn the scoops of the HIANGculture.” These are just someof the comments from peoplewho have attended diversitytraining.

The Diversity TrainingSchedule for 2006 is: April 28,June 30 and Sept. 29. Allclasses will be held at the 154WG Dining Facility.

Classes begin at 7:00 andend at 3:30, and attire is Busi-ness Aloha. A $2 donation forsnacks and drinks would beappreciated (collection at thedoor), and lunch is up to theindividual. Class size is lim-ited to approximately 30. Diver-sity training is open to allHIANG members.

Training managers or su-pervisors should notify SeniorMaster Sgt. Kaneshiro ifHIANG members are inter-ested in attending one of theDiversity Classes. Send an e-mail message containing thename, rank, unit, phone num-ber, and date of the DiversityClass the person wishes to at-tend. A confirmation e-mailwill be sent to the sender andapplicant.

For questions, e-mail SeniorMaster Sgt. Karl Kaneshiro.Remember: Diversity is notabout counting heads, butabout making heads count!

Senior Master Sgt. KarlKaneshiro has been selected asthe State Human ResourcesAdvisor. Previously, he servedas the 154th Wing Human Re-sources Advisor, Base TrainingManager and Training Man-ager for the 154th MedicalGroup. Welcome aboard Karl!

Diversity training,reserve your seatby Chief Master Sgt. Carswell Ross


HIANG says aloha to C-130 Herculesby Staff Sgt. Betty J. Squatrito-Martin andStaff Sgt. Laurence Berajana


The Hawaii Air National Guard’s203rd Air Refueling Squadron tookfour members of the National Foot-ball League on a mid-air refuelingtraining mission with the 199thFighter Squadron’s F-15s here Feb.11.


Chief Master Sgt. Warren Faurot explainsthe proper execution of an air refuelcontact between a tanker and a fighter toNeil Rackers , Arizona Cardinals’ kicker.

by Staff Sgt. Betty J. Squatrito-Martinand 1st Lt. Regina Berry

NFL All Stars cross into the blue

Bob Sanders, Indianapolis Colts’ outsidelinebacker, takes up position in the boompod to get a bird’s eye view of the contactbetween the KC-135 and the F-15.

It was a bittersweet moment as members of theHawaii Air National Guard’s 204thAirlift Squadron bid farewell to an oldfriend during a celebration at the C-17 Combined Maintenance ComplexFeb. 11.

That old friend is the Koeakea, thelast C-130 Hercules to leave the Ha-waii Air National Guard. Draped inMaile, Koeakea stood side by side withits replacement, Ke Aloha, the Spiritof Hawaii,the new C-17 GlobemasterIII.

The celebration was an opportunityfor Guard members, and their fami-lies and friends to reminisce about the glory days ofthe C-130 while enjoying food, drink and entertain-ment.

“It’s in with new, out with the old. We’re gonna miss

this bird,” said Staff Sgt. Brad Valenzuela, C-130 as-sistant crew chief. It would be nice to keep a couple ofthem, he added.

Master Sgt. Rolando Espinosa,crew chief since 1991, who de-scribes Koeakea as a versatileplane that can go anywhere and doanything, also thinks it will be dif-ficult to see the bird go.

The C-130’s departure fromHickam AFB Feb. 15, marks 20years of service and gives Espinosathe opportunity to cross-train ascrew chief for the last C-17.

It is hard to watch the aircraftgo, said Lt. Col. Gerry Mansell, C-130 pilot and former commander

of the 204 AS, “It’s like a comfortable pair of shoes.I’ve flown it all over the world, and I know it inside andout,” said Lt. Col. Mansell, “I am so familiar with it,it’s relaxing.”


C-130 crew members bid last C-130good-bye during a farewell ceremony.

The NFL all-stars, Neil Rackers,Shayne Graham, Bob Sanders andCato June, visited the 203 ARS andwitnessed various aspects of the fly-ing mission.

During the refueling, Chief Mas-ter Sgt. Warren Faurot, with stillhands, mesmerized the NFL playersas he maneuvered the boom andsuccessfully made contact with theF-15.

The players were amazed at theprecision required to perform an airrefuel. It’s like a game winning

kick, you only get one shot, saidRackers, kicker for the ArizonaCardinals. Just seeing howclose and how precise the boomoperator has to be to get the re-fueling is amazing, addedRackers.

For others, the coordina-tion between the KC-135 pi-lot, the boom operator andthe F-15 pilot was remark-able. “I thought it was greatwatching them (crew mem-bers) all get in sync and pullit all together,” said Sand-ers, free safety for the India-napolis Colts.

“Getting to see behind thescenes of an air refuel is notsomething just anybody gets tosee. Now I can explain how theyrefuel,” said June, outside line-

backer for the Indianapolis Colts.Following the air refuel “contact,”

the NFL all stars would head to AlohaStadium where they would be in-volved in another form of “contact,”hard hitting football. According tothe players, following the Pro-Bowl,it is off to months of personal train-ing as they prepare for the next NFLseason. Meanwhile, the 203rd AirRefueling Squadron continues toprepare and train for their mission,defending and protecting Hawaii andthe United States.


News briefs

Cell phones: can youhear me now?

Drivers, with engines run-ning, whether they are movingor not, or using a speaker phoneor a hands free device, are notallowed to use cell phones onU.S. Army installations.

PACAFAll vehicle operators on

PACAF installations are re-quired to safely park or use ahands free device when using acell phone. Additionally, opera-tors of government vehiclesmust follow the same regula-tions regarding cell phone useboth on and off installations.

Violators will face a 30 daysuspension of base driving privi-leges.

ARMY

Air Force’s newmission statement

The mission of the UnitedStates Air Force is to deliver sov-ereign options for the defense ofthe United States of Americaand its global interests — to flyand fight in Air, Space, andCyberspace.

The Air Force has approvedthe tan-and-green pixilated tigerstripe pattern for the new wash-and-wear utility uniform. Thenew Airman Battle Uniform willinclude a pocket on each sleeve,four pockets on the blouse alldesigned for access while in bodyarmor. Female sizes will beavailable. The final cost will beapproximately $70.00.

A new no shine muted blue-green suede boot designed tomatch the uniform was also ap-proved. It is estimated that thenew boots will cost $100.00 perpair.

New BDU approved It’s tax timeW2s are available at mypay.

https://mypay.dfas.mil. If theinformation posted to the W-2 isincorrect, please contact theservicing pay office or the cus-tomer service representative forassistance.

The Department of Defense isproviding, the software TurboTax free of charge, to assist mili-tary members in filing their2005 taxes. Goto www.militaryonesource.com to get the freecopy of Turbo Tax.

The Hawaii State legislatureapproved an increase in allow-able income tax exclusions formembers of the reserve compo-nents of all services of theUnited States of America, andthe Hawaii National Guard. Ac-cording to the new law, theamount excluded shall be“equivalent to pay received for 48drills (12 weekends) and 15 daysof annual training at an E-1 paygrade after eight years of ser-vice.” This is approximately$2500.00 for tax year 2005.


Lt. Col. Charles Moose accepts thesquadron flag from Col. StanOsserman as he assumescommand of the 154th SecurityForces Squadron Feb. 2006.

The 203rd Air Refueling Squadron’snew commander, Lt.Col. Lajala, andfamily, (L-R) In-Laws; Peter andSheila Freitas, wife; Celeste, Son;Ramon, Mother ; Eleanor Bonner.Lt. Col. Lajala, the first traditionalGuardsman to command the 203rdARS, brings over 20 years ofservice from both Active Duty andGuard to the position.

February AOM: SeniorAirman Todd Munesue

January AOM: SeniorAirman Sue Musrasrik-Quiles


photo by Tech. Sgt. Kristen Higgins

photo by Staff Sgt. Laurence Bejerana

Moose takes charge

Lalaja in Command

The Kuka’ilimoku will no longer be mailed home. Guard memberscan access it online at https://hihicksp/sites/154wg/pa/default.aspx. To receive it by email, send your email address [email protected].

Last Kuka’ilimoku Issue to be mailed home


Guardsmen serving around the world

Chaplain’s Corner: Lt.Col. Nagamine

all photos courtesy photos

Chaplain Nagamine,along with the Manas AirBase Outreach Societyvisit children at theChildren’s Cancer Centerin Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Chaplain Carver and Chaplain Nagamine praise the lord throughmusic. Nagamine volunteered for deployment to Kyrgyzstan.

Members from the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 154th Security ForcesSquadron deployed to augment forces at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan insupport of Operation Enduring Freedom, get a visit from the Adjutant General,Maj. Gen. Robert Lee. In addition to security forces in Afghanistan, there arenumerous security forces members deployed throughout the Southwest Asiaregion supporting wartime contingencies. For many of the 154 SFS members,this is their second or third deployment in the region. Several 154 SFStroops are expected to return home sometime in March.

Senior Airman Ashley Saffery (right)154th Services Flight, deployed toAntractica, assists in hoisting theHawaii flag over the South Pole.

courtesy photos

PRESORTED STANDARDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDHONOLULU, HAWAIIPERMIT NO. 910

Kukailimoku154th WingHawaii Air National Guard360 Harbor DriveHickam AFB, HI 96853-5517

Future Drill Datesfor 154th Wing

Mar. 4-5, 2006

Apr. 1-2, 2006

May 6-7, 2006

Jun. 3-4, 2006

Jul. 15-16, 2006

New

UCI Dates:

Jan. 22-26,2007

To:

And Family

Documents

Vol. 53 No. 2 Mar. 2006 First C-17 Globemaster III arrives! · · 2015-12-17Vol. 53 No. 2 Mar. 2006 First C-17 Globemaster III arrives! Ke Aloha, the first of Hickam AFB’s C-17